Williamborthwick smith



W. B. SMITH.

Watch Plate.

Patented Nov. 24, 1868.

ix Lewes N. PETERS. PuoTp-LnMwRAPuER. wAsHmGToN. D C.

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---aeaae WILLIAM'BORTHWICK SMITH, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND Letters Patent No. 84,388, dated November 24, 1868.

IMZPROVEMENTIN FRAIWE FOR PROTECTIN WATCH-WORKS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the lamb.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM BORTHWICK SMITH, of Ooventry, in the county of Warwick, England, have invented a new and improved Construction of Lever Watch Movements; and Ido hereby dcclaiethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specifi cation.

This invention consists in an improved construction of lever-watch movement or frame, with the application thereto of a T-lever escapement, (detached or otherwise,) working in a straight line or at a slight divergent angle, and. having the sanie action as in the ordinary construction, the cscapement being'applied in such manner as to allow of its complete separate detachment.

The advantages to be derived from this improved construction are as follows:

First, simplicity of construction and economy in cost.

Second, facility for separate detachment of the'cscapement.

Third, increased amount 'of freedom to all parts of the escapement, which have the full depth of,1novement, instead of being cramped under 0013); beneath the balance, and the stcadier action afforded to'the escapement, consequent on the increased length of the arbors.

Fourth, the facility afforded for fully capping and covering all the working-parts of the watch at small cost.

Fifth, the facility (as compared with English fullplate watches) for setting the hands at the hack.

Sixth, the increased depth of main-spring, which admits the use of a spring of smaller force and steadier action to 'give the same amountof impulse to the train.

Seventh, less liabilityto stop from oil thickening or dirt accumulating, on account of the greater amount of freedom allowed to the cscapement.

Eighth, reduced cost of construction and finish, on account of extra freedom imparted to cscapement and other parts.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings- Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent face views of my invention.

Figure 4, a side or edge view of the same.

Figure 5, a section, taken in the line xx, fig. 2.

Figure 6, a detached perspective view of a part pertaining to the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A, barrel-hole.

B, fusee and great-wheel hole.

0, hollow centre-wheel hole.

D, third-wheel hole.

E, fourth or seconds-wheel hole.

F, pallctwheel hole.

G, palletstafl hole.

H, balance-staff hole. K, barrel-bar.

L, escapement-ba-r.

M, balance-cock.

M, balance-bar.

n, pendulum-stud.

P, pillar-plate outline.

Q, dog-screws.

1t, pillars.

8, screws.

B cap. I

The flame resembles a three-quarter-plate frame, as to, the arrangement of the train of wheels and sinking the balance below the level of the .top plate, but the cock below the balance, to carry the escapement, is dispensed with.

In fig. -2, a bar, M, on the topplate, is substitute for the balancecock M, shown in figs. Land 3.

The bar on pillar-plate, into which the balance-stafi is nsually'pivoted, is also dispensed with, and the balance-stafl" is pivoted into the pillar-plate.

The barrel is made deeper by the thickness of the top plain, '(figs. l and 2,) and is carried by a bar, K, on the top plate, same as in full-plate movements, this bar being dispensed with in fig. 3, in order to adapt it for dome-cased work; but neither form of construction would, to any extent, add to the thickness of the.watch, compared with the English tliree-qnarter-plate movement.

A bar, L, is also fixed at the extremity of and beyond the top plate, to which, at the one end, it is screwed by screws s, (see figs. l and 3,) and at the other end to an extra pillar, It, this pillar, in the construction shown by fig. 1, being higher than the other pillars, by the thickness of the top plate.

In fig. 2, the bar L is fixed, by two screws, to the top plate only.

This bar L receives the pallet and pallet-wheel, and allows'of their detachment without displacing the balance-staff or any of the train of wheels.

For this purpose the top plate is out ofi orfiled away, where shown by the black-dotted line beneath cscapc bar, on removal of which they are readily detached.

The train of wheels, detent-works, maintainingpower, fnsee-compensation, hollow-centre pinion, and other parts, would, with slight modifications, be similar to the same parts, respectively, in the ordinary English-lever movement.

The figs. 1, 2, and 3 show the invention applied to three different constructions of frame.

Fig. 1 with the bar L fixed, at one end, to the screwpillar R, and at the other end by one screw, s, and steady-pins, on the top of the top plate, the shoulder of the pillar 1t, fig. 1, standing on a level with the top of the top plate. V

Fig. 3 shows the same mode of fixing and detaching the bar L, except that the top plate is made thicker, and

the bar is countersunk into it at the edge, and fixed to it by two small screws, s s, and one or two steady-pins.

The barrel-bar is also dispensed with,'and by thispower, in the ordinary manner.

Fig. 2 shows an arrangement (specially adapted for being capped and fitted in consular case) whereby both cocks are dispensed with and two bars substituted, and the top plate filed away round the holes G and F, into which-the escapenieut is pivoted, to allow of its detachment when the bar L is rcinovethas in the other constructions'.

This construction (fig. 2) would be fully capped round the rim, and over the space '1 T, at small cost. (See figs. 2 and 4.)

The cap B being fixed by dog-screws Q Q, or with bolt and fly-spring, in the ordinary manner, and it will admit of being indexed in two ways, either with a bow, A sunk on the top of the bar, withthbtailcranked under the cap, and a nib or stud standing up'through' 'the slit in the cap, at 0, (see fig.'2,) whereby it would be regulated, or by sinking the bow on the under side of the bar, where shown by the dotted red circle round balance-staff hole H, with tail passing under cap in the one direction, for curb-pins to be pinned in, and in the opposite direction with index simk on under side of bar M, and sliding on the top plate, as shown by red-marked index opposite the centre-wheel hole.

. me, this, the

erase The pendulum-stud would be plugged in at n, so-

that-it might be knocked out without unpinning the spring or altering the regulator.

The black-dotted circle round balance-staff hole, under the bar, shows a hollow turned out of top plate, for the pendulum-spring (pinned in at n) to work in; the balance working below the top plate.

In all three constructions, the contrivance for separate detachment of the escapernent would be the same, and the escapement constructed and pitched in the same manner.

I claim .as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. The means employed for facilitating the separate detachment of the escapeinent, to wit, the bars L L" M, arranged and applied in the manner substantially as set forth.

2. The bow A applied to the bar M, and in relation with the balance-stafi, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The protecting-cap B, when arranged and applied, in relation to the pillar-plates and regulator, substantially as shown and described.

The above specification of my invention signed by day of February, 1868.

\VILLIAM BORTHWIOK SMITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN ltYLnY, W. HoPKms; 

